I come from a non-religious family, although my parents always celebrated Christmas so as to not have us kids feel left out.    My mom would play Christmas songs for weeks, it's still her favorite time of year if for anything else.. the music.   Although I would have to say my favorite holiday tradition is our annual trips to celebrate life in the snow.  On the 2nd week of December we always go to the mountains to play in the snow, mostly on California mountains, although sometimes we have a huge family gathering in Austria.   I have grown to love the sound of my mom saying "Are you ready to celebrate life?"  OH YEAH!!!!

I love building Christian Nativity scenes around town to remind everyone what Christmas is really about.

On a personal note:
Since  my husband and both of my kids were born and raised in Maui, we have a  5-foot Hawaiian-Style Santa and a lighted palm tree as the centerpiece of our holiday decorations.
I also like to go crazy baking decadent goodies for friends and co-workers...it eases my guilt over continuosly devouring anything chocolate for a solid month. 
Mele Kalikimaka and Haouli Makahiki Hou to all!     
 

Baking traditional christmas cookies are a big tradition in my family. For some reason I inherited my grandmas springerlie roller and I make this cookie every year. I don't really care for them but enjoy the tradition. There are only three people left (my sisters) who like them and I have a huge extended family. The springerlies have become (think Fruitcake) a family joke. Every year I say -this is the last year I make these awful cookies! I mean it yet I still continue to get badgered by the sisters to make them. As I love the springerlie roller and the memories attached to it I can't relinquish the roller so I guess until I can give it up to one of them I will make these cookies.

The Christmas tradition I look most forward is making new ornaments for the Christmas tree. Every year, my mom and I would think of a new kind of ornament to make for the tree. Some of the came out quite beautifully. Others were just silly and I laugh when I look at them. Though the last time my mom and I were able to make ornaments together was in 2000, I still have dozens of homemade ornaments made by us over the years. I am able to look through them and remember all those times we spent together. And best of all, even though my daughter doesn't remember her, I can say, "Look at what beautiful things my mom and I did together." And this is the first year my daughter is really old enough and interested enough to help me make ornaments, so the tradition can continue.

Man...where do i start.  Since my little granny died, Christmas has never been the same.  Her house was the core of what held our immediate and not so immediate family together.  I miss the crocheted slippers she made us EVERY year, I hated getting them at the time but i miss them now.  Homemade Christmas candy and breads, the crooked tree she put up every year.  I neve knew how much i would miss all of that, until right now.  I live in San Diego, it's always summer here....my son and daughter in law and grandson are in Tehachapi and me and my young son are here.  We plan on making the trip up for Christmas.  So my holiday will consist of traffic, travel, no rest and $$$$.  But i believe in God and i cant wait to sit in traffic for 7 hours (typical travel time for the holiday), as long as i get to see my kids and celebrate this spiritual day with my family.  God bless everyone this year and always.